Music
Route map through learning, teaching and
assessment
Course: Music
Level: Advanced Higher
This route map is intended to assist staff in planning and delivering the overall vision for Curriculum
for Excellence. It has been developed to signpost the relevant support materials available to assist
staff in the planning of learning, teaching and assessment of Advanced Higher Music.
The vision for the new qualifications is to create assessment opportunities that follow and support
learning and teaching. This follows the principles laid out in Building the Curriculum 5 and makes
assessment a natural part of learning and teaching.
These support materials are not intended to constrain staff, hence they are neither prescriptive nor
exhaustive. They provide suggestions on approaches to learning and teaching that will provide
intellectual challenge to learners either in a formal learning environment or through independent
learning. Learners will have the opportunity to develop deep learning and acquire high-level skills
such as research and analysis through the medium of Advanced Higher Music. Staff are encouraged
to draw on these materials, and existing materials, to develop programmes of learning which are
appropriate to the needs of learners within their own context.
The link to Education Scotland’s support materials can be found below together with other subjectspecific links you may find helpful as you develop programmes of learning for Advanced Higher
Music. These links are followed by a sequential list of the key guidelines, advice and support for
Advanced Higher Music qualifications. This information is intended to support staff in deciding the
most appropriate ways to generate evidence and assess learners.
Useful links for learning and teaching Advanced Higher Music
Education Scotland NQ Course Materials on Glow (login and password required). Copy and paste
this link into your browser to go straight to the page on Glow:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/m/nqresource_tcm4854249.asp
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Crown copyright and the document title specified.
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Music
Education Scotland – Key Curriculum Support
A quick guide to finding vital information about Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/keycfesupport/index.asp
This appears under three headings
 the latest guidance, updates and plans for embedding Curriculum for Excellence
 information on assessment
 information on the new qualifications
SQA Course and Unit Support Notes
These provide advice and guidance to help teachers plan for the delivery and assessment of new
units and courses
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/AHCUSNMusic.pdf
Advanced Higher Music course content
The SQA Music overview page can be found at http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45715.html with those
pages specifically related to the Advanced Higher course at http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/48450.html.
Staff should also regularly check the updates and announcements section of this page.
The course specification can be found at:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nq/AHCourseSpecMusic.pdf
Further mandatory information on course coverage is found on pages 8-9 of the Course Assessment
Specification.
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/AHCASMusic.pdf
A course comparison between National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher highlights points of change
and areas of stability and can be found at:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/AH_Music_Course_comparison.pdf
Staff moving from the old Higher to the new Advanced Higher course should be aware that the
structure of the units has changed. Evidence gathered towards the performance skills and
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Government Licence providing that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as
Crown copyright and the document title specified.
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Music
composing skills units do not have to include completed pieces. Incomplete pieces or sections of
pieces can be used if centres are satisfied the demands of the unit outcomes and assessment
standards are met. Staff may also be aware that concepts which will have been covered in old
Higher may appear on the mandatory list for the understanding music unit in the new Advanced
Higher course.
Course assessment
At Advanced Higher added value will be assessed in a course assessment. Component one can be
either a performance or portfolio and is worth 60 marks. Component two consists of a question paper
and is worth 40 marks. The course will be graded A–D. More detail on course coverage can be found
on pages 5-7 of the Course Assessment Specification
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/AHCASMusic.pdf
Performance or portfolio
Course assessment in the new Advanced Higher course provides an opportunity for learners to
undertake a performance route or through submission of a portfolio of compositions. Staff moving
from old Higher should be aware that sampling of programmes no longer takes place and the
performances on two instruments will be heard in their entirety.
A specimen question paper and marking instructions can be found at:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/MusicSQPAH.pdf
Guidance on the use of past paper questions can be found at:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/MusicSQPAHPPGuidance.pdf
Unit assessment
Units are mandatory when taken as part of the Advanced Higher Music course but they can be taken
independently. Unit support notes follow on from the course support notes.
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/AHCUSNMusic.pdf
There are three units. Each individual unit has an Advanced Higher unit specification which gives
details of the outcomes and assessment standards.
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© Crown copyright, 2015
You may re-use this information (excluding images and logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open
Government Licence providing that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as
Crown copyright and the document title specified.
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Music
Performing Skills:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nu/AHUnitMusicPerformingSkills.pdf
Composing Skills:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nu/AHUnitMusicComposingSkills.pdf
Understanding and Analysing Music:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nu/AHUnitUnderstandAnalysingMusic.pdf
Learners must meet all the outcomes and assessment standards, and staff should read the
documentation carefully. Evidence should be generated through learning and teaching. Assessment
evidence can be drawn from a variety of activities and presented in a variety of formats. All of the
evidence does not have to be generated from one activity but can be from several tasks and
assessments carried out throughout the course. Learners should have access to resources to
complete the assessment task and no time restrictions should be imposed. Staff should use their
professional judgment when looking at the assessment evidence and ensure that minimum
competency is met. They should undertake quality assurance regularly.
Three different ways of gathering evidence have been suggested by SQA. The most traditional
approach is unit by unit. A combined approach links knowledge and understanding from two or more
units together. Many staff will move towards the portfolio approach as their confidence grows. Here
evidence is gathered from everyday learning using key classroom tasks. Unit assessment support is
kept on the SQA Secure website.
Verification
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/58448.html
The verification process is meant to be supportive and not onerous. Internal verification is the process
of ensuring standards are applied uniformly and consistently within a school in line with national
standards. External verification is the process of ensuring that national standards are maintained
consistently across all schools and carried out by SQA.
Prior Verification
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/Prior%20Verification%20Centre%20Guidance%20FINAL.pdf
Staff who devise their own assessments can send them to SQA for prior verification, free of charge.
This is only necessary where significant changes have been made to the unit assessment provided
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© Crown copyright, 2015
You may re-use this information (excluding images and logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open
Government Licence providing that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as
Crown copyright and the document title specified.
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Music
by SQA. It gives staff confidence that their proposed assessment is fit for purpose and meets national
standards.
Internal Verification
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/InternalVerificationGuideforSQAcentres.pdf
As a matter of course, staff should be quality assuring their assessments by carrying out activities
that they have used previously, for example double marking and blind marking. Samples of learners’
work should be marked by more than one staff member in a department or in single-person
departments an arrangement should be made with another school.
External Verification
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/Evidence_required_for_verificationevents.pdf
SQA intend that every school will be verified over the first few years. Verification will take place at
various points in the year. Twelve samples will be asked for.
Schools must retain the evidence until 31 July of each academic year.
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/SQA_Evidence_retention_requirements_A3_table.pdf
Key messages from verification will be put up on the SQA website.
Results Services
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/65427.html
SQA offers two services:
 Exceptional Circumstances Consideration Service (details to be provided to SQA within ten
days of the learner sitting the external assessment)
 Post Results Service - this consists of a clerical check and/or a marking review if the centre
has concerns about the results of an individual or group.
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2015
You may re-use this information (excluding images and logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open
Government Licence providing that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as
Crown copyright and the document title specified.
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